Playing Black against Queen's-Pawn Openings (2): Semi-Slav and Exchange

and Black has tried the quiet 5...Na6, the active 5...Bg4 and
the main line 5...Bf5. This last is a well known and popular line
and is worth a look.

I have gone for the Semi-Slav because it seems easier to play
into from other openings: if 1. c4 c6 2. e4 you have to play either
a Caro-Kann with 2...d5 or a funny Indian system with 2...e5. But
after 1. c4 e6 2. e4 d5 White has transposed into a lousy version
of the French.

The Semi-Slav has two very popular main lines, (a) the Meran
System and (b) the Anti-Meran Gambit. I'll show you an example of
each but they are very fashionable systems with an awful lot of
sharp theory to learn.

These are great fun, and are superb counter-attacking systems
for people with time to study, but the amount of theory really is
too much to try as your first defence to 1.d4. I recommend some
slower lines of the Semi-Slav, which are not so dynamic, but quite
safe and should give you a good game.

[My computer always plays 4...Bd6 here, thinking perhaps
that White can't organise e2-e4 as well as if Nc3 had been played.
If White is so determined to play slowly I wonder if 4... f5 is
worth a punt: White should certainly not chase the Bishop with 5.
c5 Bc7 when ...e5 is bound to come quickly]

4... Nf6 5. Nbd2

The best strategy against these Nbd2 systems is to take
advantage of the lack of pressure on d5 by playing ...c5(!). This
of course loses a tempo, but it hopes to show that White has
misplaced the Knight on d2 and will not be able to defend the d4
point so easily.

[White often continues 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2

[White can also play 6. O-O when one possible strategy is
6...Ne4 7. Nc3 f5 - see the Stonewall below]

White's approach in this line has many advantages: the position
is simplified, White has a permanent structural advantage and a
clear plan to follow, and Black's counterplay is limited. White can
now adopt two plans:

White's other plan is less popular but more dynamic. The King's
Knight come to e2, and then f2-f3 will prepare e2-e4. Black's best
plan is to hit back. We may see a bit more of this plan since the
following advertisement for it:

This neat move is useful for attack and defence: if Rxc6, then
Bxh2+ wins the exchange. GM Nigel Davies in an article praises this
type of rook manoeuvre for Black: the Rook can move to (say) the
g-file and cause problems for the White King. As it happens White
soon digs a pit into which he or she falls!